Special Anniversary Events

On July 9, 2012, the National Women’s Health Network and the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health hosted two events to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of the groundbreaking results of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). The WHI provided women and their health care providers with evidence to support informed decision making about hormone therapy.

 

The first event – Heart Disease, Breast Cancer and the Women’s Health Initiative: 10 Years Later – was a Grand Rounds panel for medical and public health professionals at The George Washington University Hospital to raise awareness about the WHI findings among new health care providers. The panel featured leaders in clinical research, women’s health, and evidence-based health care to discuss the impact of the Women’s Health Initiative on clinical practice and women’s health. After the panel, there was an engaging discussion about the recent backlash against the WHI. The event was a great success with over 125 attendees!

 

 

 

The second event – Breast Cancer, Heart Disease and Women’s Health: Real Benefits from Investing in Research – was presented in cooperation with Congresswomen Gwen Moore and Lois Capps and Senators Barbara Mikulski and Olympia Snowe. This Congressional Briefing featured leaders in clinical research, women’s health, and consumer advocacy to set the record straight on the Women’s Health Initiative. The panel discussed how the WHI is responsible for the most significant reduction in breast cancer levels ever achieved in the United States, why it is important to establish a solid base of scientific evidence before proceeding with widespread promotion and use of medical products, and the need for more research on women's health. The briefing had over 50 attendees representing Congressional and Senate offices, non-profit organizations, health care providers, health care consultants, and the media.